Friday Finds – A list of 30+ free tutorials and patterns for wallets and pouches

Staying with the theme of the last few weeks Friday ‘lists’ today I bring you a collection of free tutorials and patterns for wallets, pouches, clutches and purses. With the wonders of the English language what is considered a ‘purse’ in some countries is a ‘wallet’ in others, and a ‘tote’ in others. No wonder some non-English speakers struggle to learn to speak English fluently – many English-as-a-first-language speakers have the same trouble!

I love little purses/pouches/wallets. First of all they are a great way to show off scraps of fabric from your stash that you just can’t bear to part with, and secondly they are fantastic at helping to keep you organised. Since I started sewing bags my handbag wardrobe has grown dramatically – and in changing bags I often forget to move some important thing from one bag to the next (you know – lipstick, my work pass, migraine medication, cash…..). After making some zip-pouches for friends and custom orders recently it has occurred to me that I should actually make some for myself to hold these bits and pieces in and then changing bags will be as simple as taking the pouches out and putting them in the next bag. Of course the hard part will be working out which fabric to use…..because I have so many pieces I love! Sigh – as I often say, if these are the worst first world problems we are faced with, our lives continue to be amazing!

The beauty of these patterns is that by changing fabric and changing sizes you can make pouches for children, teens, women, men, to be used for all sorts of purposes. Great for whipping up last minute gifts!

So – here is a collection of patterns and tutorials provided by generous bloggers to inspire you and me! I have organised them into zipped, wallets, and ‘other’ (yes – I am a genius). Many of them are similar, but as always, each sewist brings their own tips and tricks to even simple tasks, so I hope you can find one that resonates with your style!

And finally – if that list doesn’t suit your needs, the delightful website Tip Nut has a list of 30+ makeup bags and rolls, and most of the makeup bags are perfect for use as wallets, pouches or clutches.

All Wrapped Up has yet another list of clutches, purses and wallets (about 24)- most different from my list and from Tip Nut’s list.

A huge variety of free patterns and tutorials to provide us with so many ideas! I think I need to start buying zips in bulk!

the little bird

Welcome to a little bird made me!
I am Theresa, the little bird who makes things. If I am going to label myself I am the mother of three chicks, a fabric addict, designer, small business owner, friend, lover of music, owner of chickens, and now a farmer on land just outside Canberra, Australia.

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Today I am packaging up a bulk order of my reusable teabags for a client who will include them in gift hampers, and working on another bulk order for a different customer who will include them in gift boxes! I admire how many people are supporting the shift to handmade and sustainable products. ... See MoreSee Less

Good morning! Here is a splash of bright colour to help you start your week- a custom order I am working on for a customer to gift to her sister. I love knowing who orders are going to - it helps with the design and styling because each cosy is unique, just like each customer ! (And yes, that is my knee acting as the model for the cosy!)

Well, I have done it - completed my order for a set of tea cosies for the beautiful cafe Le Bon Melange. In the process I think I have perfected my pattern for making the tea cosies, so decided it was time to share it here. This is the first time that I have published a crochet pattern, so please be gentle with me - and let me know if you find any errors!! [ 575 more words ]

I haven't been talking about my reusable tea bags in all the excitement of making colourful tea cosies so thought it was time I did! A friend asked me today what the story is with this concept and how to use them so here is an explanation.

I drink a fair bit of loose leaf tea and use infusers to make a mug of tea but for some of my cups an infuser is the wrong shape/size etc and that is where a tea bag is easier. But then I discovered that my 'organic fair trade tea' teabags weren't breaking down in the compost or worm farm because they are made with plastic in them 😱. Enter the organic cotton reusable tea bag as a replacement!

To use them I put a teaspoon of loose tea in the bag and draw the string tight, then use it as I would a normal tea bag. After your tea has reached the strength you want you can either empty the tea leaves while the bag is wet by turning it inside out, then rinse the bag and let it dry before using again, or you can leave the bag to dry and shake the dry leaves out, then rinse and dry. I like to shake the dry leaves out but it means that the tannins from the tea stains the cotton. This doesn't affect the functionality of the tea bag, just the look! You can pop them in the wash for a deeper clean (inside a lingerie bag so they don't get lost!) or give them a soak in bicarbonate soda and vinegar to remove any buildup.

One of the photos below shows the discolouration of a teabag after several weeks of continuous use. Although the fabric will eventually wear out and need replacing I estimate that I with 4 bags in circulation in my kitchen I have conservatively saved over 100 teabags from becoming landfill in a couple of months, and the bags are still going strong!

I like that these are really portable- pre-filled at home they slip into a pouch in my bag to take with me. I hope to release travel pouches for them soon so that you can safely carry dry bags out and wet bags in without making a mess in your bag!

If you haven't any questions please don't hesitate to ask! (And I do wholesale these.) ... See MoreSee Less